The New Jersey National Guard will be deploying more than 450 soldiers and airmen to the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., from July 28 until August 18. While at Fort Polk they will participate in “Operation Orion’s Zenith” which is a large scale combat training exercise involving units from ten other states. The exercise will test the ability of the National Guard to plan, mobilize, move to a remote location, conduct combat operations, then redeploy – the same type operations that the Guard would be called upon in time of war. Units participating in the operations, and their home stations, are as follows:

119th Corps Support Battalion                             Lawrenceville
250th Signal Battalion                                          Westfield, Flemington, Woodbridge, Cherry Hill
250th Forward Support Battalion                         Sea Girt
42nd Support Command                                      Somerset
253rd Transportation Company                            Cape May, Tuckerton
204th Air Weather Flight, NJ Air National Guard  McGuire Air Force Base

New Jersey units will be providing transportation, ammunition, food, supplies, fuel, digital cellular communications, and weather forecasting for the combat units in the exercise. Over 100 railcars of vehicles and equipment were shipped from New Jersey to Louisiana two weeks ago and will be waiting for the troops when they arrive.  The soldiers and airmen will fly to Fort Polk, draw their equipment, and move directly to the field for the duration of the operation. 

Most of the combat units for this multi-state exercise are from the New York National Guard, but Alabama, South Dakota, Connecticut, Puerto Rico, and New Jersey are all supporting the operation with National Guard soldiers and airmen. The U.S. Army Reserve is also contributing units from five other states to the deployment. 

If you have any questions about this operation or the New Jersey National Guard please contact Colonel John Dwyer, Public Affairs Officer at 609-530-6939.